Protracted impediments hold back power plant expansions

Despite numerous regulations supposed to speed up infrastructure development, Indonesia is still besieged with countless impediments to a sufficient supply of electricity. Demands consistently outpaces capacities. The Jakarta Post’s Hans David Tampubolon looks into the issue.

April’s Fool in Jakarta was marked by a rotating blackout. State power company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) called the blackout inevitable and blamed damage to its main power line.

Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, the company has no contingency plans for a back up supply from other networks. PLN is simply unable to ensure that power for the heart of the country’s economic and governmental affairs remains uninterrupted.